ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE
An energy management system and method for a vehicle monitors the state and/or condition of at least one energy storage device. A connection element is included that is adapted to connect to a first terminal of the energy storage device. A terminal body is included having a terminal connection point configured to connect to a second terminal of the energy storage device. At least one electrical shunt is also coupled to the terminal body and the connection element wherein the electrical shunt provides a path for the flow of current from the terminal connection point to the connection element. This system further includes an electrical circuit coupled to the shunt that is configured to determine predetermined parameters of the energy storage device based on the flow of current through the electrical shunt.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/774,681 filed Feb. 17, 2006.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a system and method for managing energy within a vehicle.
BACKGROUNDVehicles have long been equipped with energy storage devices, such as batteries for powering the vehicle and other devices located thereon. On hybrid-electric vehicles, the battery is commonly used to provide motive force to the vehicle. As such, in both non-hybrid and hybrid vehicles, the state and/or condition of the battery is important. Accordingly, there is a need for a system capable of sensing and monitoring the condition of an energy storage device for optimal vehicle energy management.
SUMMARYThe present invention includes an energy management system and method for a vehicle having at least one energy storage device. The system includes a connection element adapted to connect to a first terminal of the energy storage device. A terminal body is included having a terminal connection point configured to connect to a second terminal of the energy storage device. At least one electrical shunt is also coupled to the terminal body and the connection element wherein the electrical shunt provides a path for the flow of current from the terminal connection point to the connection element. The system further includes an electrical circuit coupled to the shunt that is configured to determine predetermined parameters of the energy storage device based on the flow of current through the electrical shunt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGSThe features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood with reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ in the present invention.
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal connection point 14 is integrally formed with the terminal body 12. As such, the terminal body 12 may be formed by a casting process or by forming stamped sheet metal in accordance with design requirements. The terminal body 12 includes at least one electrical shunt 18 that is electrically coupled to the terminal body 12. In the embodiment shown, two vertical shunts 18 are illustrated which terminate, at one end, at a body portion 18a of the shunts. The shunts 18 allow the flow of current from the terminal connection point 14 to a ground terminal 20 as indicated by a current path arrow 22 in
As shown, the shunts 18 may be positioned within vertical lodgings or notches 24 that are formed on an inner portion 30 of the terminal body 12. Positioning of the shunts 18 within the vertical lodgings or notches 24 also improves the robustness of the system. Furthermore, the shunts 18 may be fixed to the terminal body 12 by a welding process. Additional vertical projections 26 may be formed on an outer portion of the terminal body 12 (
The energy management system 10 also includes an electrical circuit 28 that is coupled to the terminal body 12. The electrical circuit 28 is configured to determine and/or sense various operating parameters of the energy storage device. The operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, the battery state of charge (SOC), the battery state of health (SOH), the battery conductance, the remaining charge of the battery, the battery cranking power for the vehicle, and the like. The present invention continuously determines and updates the parameters based on various currents, temperatures, and voltages of the system. In one embodiment, the electrical circuit 28 is formed of a printed circuit board (PCB) and includes at least one controller and other circuitry capable of processing and generating data and signals. In the PCB embodiment, the electrical circuit 28 may be molded within the inner portion 30 of the terminal body 12 and may also include a local interconnect network (LIN) connector 32 (
The PCB may be attached to the terminal body 12 by multiple fixing devices 34 as indicated in
As described in the foregoing, the energy management system 10 includes a ground terminal 20. As shown in
The bracket 36, the separators 38, and the body portion 18a of the shunts 18 also form a rigid mechanical block that improves the robustness of the energy management system, particularly during vehicle vibrations and pull-outs from the vehicle harness. A fastening device 40 (
As illustrated in
Referring to
The energy management system 10 includes an electrical circuit 28 having a controller 44. Specifically as shown in
Additionally, the electrical circuit 28 includes a voltage device 49 (labeled “Vbat” in
As shown, the connector 32 is coupled to the electrical circuit 28 to enable signals processed by the controller 44 to be transmitted throughout the vehicle. In one embodiment, the connector 32 enables the transmission of signals that correspond to the voltage of the batteries 48, the battery conductance, intermediate voltages, a battery state of charge, the temperature of the battery, the current from the battery, and the like. It is recognized that other types of signals may be transmitted without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The electrical circuit 28 includes multiple sigma delta analog to digital converters 50. In one embodiment, two analog to digital converters 50 are dedicated to a first and a second channel wherein each channel enables simultaneous measurement of various operating parameters.
As described above, multiple voltage systems may be managed through the use of the embodiment shown in
Now, referring to Table B of
Furthermore, via thermal device 42, Channel 1 may indicate the temperature of batteries 48. Accordingly, Table B illustrates that Channel 1 may indicate the temperature of the battery 48 (i.e., Tbat2), as determined by the thermal device 42. Consequently, Channel 2 may indicate the total amount of current flowing within the system (Itotal) and the voltage (V1) of the battery 48 (i.e., BAT 1). Channel 1 may also indicate the change in voltage (e.g., ΔV1) for the battery 48 (i.e., BAT 1) while Channel 2 indicates the change in the total current (e.g., ΔItotal) flowing within the system. Moreover, as shown in Table B, Channel 1 may indicate the change in voltage (e.g., ΔV2) for the battery 48 (i.e., BAT 2) while Channel 2 indicates the change in the total current (e.g., ΔItotal) flowing within the system, which may be equal to the change in current flowing through or from the battery 48 (i.e., ΔIbat2). It is recognized that the specific electrical configurations illustrated in
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An energy management system for a vehicle having at least one energy storage device, the system comprising:
- a connection element adapted to connect to a first terminal of the energy storage device;
- a terminal body having a terminal connection point configured to connect to a second terminal of the energy storage device;
- at least one electrical shunt coupled to the terminal body and the connection element, the electrical shunt providing a path for the flow of current from the terminal connection point to the connection element; and
- an electrical circuit coupled to the shunt, the electrical circuit being configured to determine predetermined parameters of the energy storage device based on the flow of current through the electrical shunt.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one shunt includes at least two shunts configured to have substantially the same electrical resistance.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit includes a printed circuit board having a controller.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fastening device for securing the electrical shunt and the connection element to the terminal body.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a thermal device coupled to the electrical circuit and the terminal body, the thermal device being configured to respond to the temperature of the terminal body for the electrical circuit to determine a temperature of the terminal body.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the thermal device is a thermal resistor.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connector coupled to the electrical circuit, the connector enabling the transmission of electrical signals to and from the energy management system.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the shunt is coupled to the terminal body through the use of at least one notch on the terminal body that is configured to receive the shunt.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal body includes at least one projection on an outer portion of the terminal body for thermal dissipation.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to determine a voltage and a temperature of the energy storage device and the electrical circuit determines the predetermined parameters of the energy storage device based on the voltage and the temperature of the energy storage device.
11. A method for sensing and monitoring at least one energy storage device for a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing an energy management system having: a connection element adapted to connect to a first terminal of the energy storage device, a terminal body having a terminal connection point configured to connect to a second terminal of the energy storage device, at least one electrical shunt coupled to the terminal body and the connection element, the electrical shunt providing a path for the flow of current from the terminal connection point to the connection element, an electrical circuit coupled to the shunt; and
- determining predetermined parameters of the energy storage device based on the flow of current through the electrical shunt.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one shunt includes at least two shunts configured to have substantially the same electrical resistance.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrical circuit includes a printed circuit board having a controller.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising a fastening device for securing the electrical shunt and the connection element to the terminal body.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising a thermal device coupled to the electrical circuit and the terminal body, the thermal device being configured to respond to the temperature of the terminal body for the electrical circuit to determine a temperature of the terminal body.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the thermal device is a thermal resistor.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising a connector coupled to the electrical circuit, the connector enabling the transmission of electrical signals to and from the energy management system.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the shunt is coupled to the terminal body through the use of at least one notch on the terminal body that is configured to receive the shunt.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the terminal body includes at least one projection on an outer portion of the terminal body for thermal dissipation.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to determine a voltage and a temperature of the energy storage device and the electrical circuit determines the predetermined parameters of the energy storage device based on the voltage and the temperature of the energy storage device.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 6, 2006
Publication Date: Aug 23, 2007
Patent Grant number: 7688022
Applicant: Lear Corporation (Dearborn, MI)
Inventors: Ignacio Alvarez-Troncoso (Valls (Tarragona)), Josep Roset (Valls (Tarragona))
Application Number: 11/278,883
International Classification: H02J 7/00 (20060101);